What training is required before becoming a foster carer?

Before approval, prospective foster carers must complete the preparation training required by their fostering agency and take part in the wider assessment process. There is no single national qualification that every applicant must hold in advance, and previous experience in childcare is not normally a requirement. The agency will explain its own course, attendance requirements and any additional learning needed for your circumstances.

The initial training is designed to help you decide whether fostering is right for your household as well as to prepare you for assessment. It is not usually a formal examination. You will be expected to participate, ask questions, consider realistic situations and show that you can reflect on how fostering may affect your household.

As part of the preparation, you may be asked to consider:

• how you would apply your agency’s policies and procedures in everyday situations;
• how you would work with social workers, schools, health professionals and other members of a child’s support network;
• how fostering could affect your relationships, routines, privacy and family life;
• how you would respond when a child’s needs or behaviour require you to seek advice;
• what practical support you would need from relatives, friends or other people in your support network; and
• whether any further preparation or specialist learning would be helpful before approval.

Training may be delivered through group sessions, online learning, workbooks or a combination of methods. The exact format differs between fostering services. If you cannot attend a required session, ask the agency how it deals with missed learning. You may need to complete an alternative activity or attend the subject at another time before the assessment can progress.

Everyone in the household should understand the commitment involved. The fostering service will explain which adults need to attend training and how other household members can be included. Their views may also form part of the assessment, particularly where fostering would affect shared space, routines or family responsibilities.

Completion of training does not by itself mean that you are approved. You will also need to provide information for checks, health assessments, references and a fostering assessment. Your assessing social worker will consider how you apply what you have learnt alongside your circumstances, skills, support network and ability to meet the needs of a child. The completed assessment is then considered through the agency’s approval process.

It is sensible to ask the fostering service these questions before starting:

• What training must be completed before the assessment can be presented for approval?
• Who in my household should attend or contribute?
• Is any part of the training completed online?
• What happens if I need to miss a session?
• Will the agency recommend additional preparation based on the type of fostering I am considering?
• How will my learning and development be supported after approval?

After approval, training does not stop. Your agency will normally agree further learning according to your development needs and the needs of the children placed with you. Ask for a clear explanation of both the pre-approval requirements and the continuing training expected, so you know what the full commitment involves before applying.